Quantcast
Spider Plants: How to Grow and Care for Spider Plants | The Old Farmer's Almanac

Order Your Almanac Today!

Spider Plants

Chlorophytum comosum aka spider plant, airplane plant, St Bernard lily, spider ivy or ribbon plant in a terracotta pot
Photo Credit
t50/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Chlorophytum comosum
Plant Type
Houseplant
Sun Exposure
Part Sun
Shade
Soil pH
Neutral
Bloom Time
Spring
Summer
Fall
Flower Color
White
No content available.

How to Grow and Care for Spider Plants

Catherine Boeckmann
November 30, 2023
Print Friendly and PDF

Spider plants produce a rosette of long, thin, arched foliage that is solid green or variegated with white. These easy-to-grow houseplants look especially lovely in a hanging basket and were a favorite in Victorian-era households. Here’s how to grow spider plants in your home!

About Spider Plants

During the summer, spider plants may produce tiny white flowers on long stems, as well as baby spider plants (offsets) called “pups.” The pups look like tiny spiders, hence the plant’s name!

NASA once highlighted spider plants for their reported air-purifying ability, though a large number of plants would be required to reap any benefits in the home. Nonetheless, they are a classic and attractive plant to add to your space.

Read Next

Planting
  • Grow in a soil-based, well-draining potting mix. Spider plants like even moisture; they don’t like to be too dry or too wet.
  • Keep plants in bright to moderate indirect sunlight. Spider plants do not appreciate direct, hot sunlight, which can burn their leaves, causing brown tips and spots.
  • Spider plants grow fairly quickly and can easily become pot-bound. Plan to repot a spider plant about every other year.
  • Spider plants can be grown outdoors as annuals during the summer. They look especially good along the edge of a container or bed, as long as they are kept out of direct sunlight.
Growing
  • During initial growth, water occasionally; once fully developed (within one year), water moderately. 
  • In the spring and summer months, keep the soil moist to encourage growth. Do not let the soil dry out too much.
  • Maintain average room temperature and humidity. Spider plants prefer temperatures between 55 and 80°F (13–27°C), which makes them a great indoor houseplant.
  • Fertilize twice a month in the spring and summer; however, avoid overfertilization.
  • See more Houseplant Growing Tips.
Spider plant hanging in a window. Photo by Olga Prava/Shutterstock.
Photo by Olga Prava/Shutterstock
Recommended Varieties
  • The most common varieties are the variegated forms:
    • ‘Vittatum’ has green foliage with a single off-white stripe down the center of each leaf.
    • ‘Variegatum’ is the inverse of ‘Vittatum’, with an off-white stripe running along the edge of each green leaf.
  • Solid green varieties are also available.
Harvesting

  • Healthy spider plants may eventually produce “pups,” offshoots from the adult plant that can be removed and replanted to start new plants. For the best results, allow pups to reach approximately two inches in diameter before removing them from the mother plant.

    Alternatively, set the still-attached pups into pots of soil placed next to the mother plant. Once the pups have rooted themselves into the soil, they can be cut loose from the mother plant.

    Learn more about propagating spider plants and other houseplants to share with your friends.

Gardening Products

Wit and Wisdom
Pests/Diseases
  • Spider plants are prone to tip burn, which can be caused by dry soil, low humidity, or a buildup of salt and chemicals found in some public tap water. Keep the soil slightly moist. Avoid watering with fluoridated or chlorinated water, and cut off brown tips if they do occur. 
  • To get rid of the brown discs on the leaves, use your fingernail to scrape off the brown residue every few days.
  • Mealybugs
  • Scale
Houseplant Guides

More Like This

No content available.

Comments

Terry (not verified)

2 months 4 weeks ago

Why are my leaves brown on the edges

Hi Terry,

There are a few factors that could cause your spider plant leaves to brown on the edges. One of the reasons is that your plant is too dry. Allowing the soil to dry out too much between waterings prevents your plant from taking up the water it needs to thrive. It is best to keep the soil moist and water moderately. Other reasons could be too much direct sun, humidity levels are too low, or it has received too much fertilizer.

Cynthia (not verified)

3 months 2 weeks ago

Hi,
I put my many spider plants in the backyard while I was away for a month. It apparently rained quite a bit, and got pretty hot. They survived, nut many leaves have brown spots like rust. Should I cut the rust off?

Hi Cynthia-

You may be able to scrape off the spots with your fingernail. Try that first. If not, you can certainly cut them off.

Missy (not verified)

4 months 3 weeks ago

Hi there i live in MN and I have my spider plant in a pot on my porch which get direct hot sunlight and it couldn't be thriving any better. Ive had to repot it twice since March and the pups don't stop growing. I got this plant at my mothers funeral and I don't want to do anything to kill it. My question is should I bring it in or let it be? Thanks in advance.

Ps. Its my one and only plant. And my first one ever:)

Hi Missy,

Thanks for sharing. It is wonderful to hear that your spider plant is doing so well. What a special way to honor your mom!

While it is thriving at the moment, just be careful not to allow it to get too much direct sun, as extended exposure can result in leaf scorch.

Spider plants are typically grown as houseplants, but do enjoy time outdoors during the warm season. But as soon as the weather begins to change in the fall and temperatures begin to cool, you should plan to bring it inside to overwinter as a houseplant and follow the growing tips outlined above.

 

Bobbi (not verified)

4 months 3 weeks ago

I have read several articles that said spider plants do not like direct sun. Not knowing that, I have had my spider plants on my west facing screened porch, near the beach in South Carlina, and they are thriving. They get direct sun for several hours a day and I have so many "pups" I can't plant them all. Maybe it's because I started them from pups and they have always been on the porch. Even during the winter, and if we have a frost I cover them with a sheet. I thought someone might find this information interesting or helpful.

Joyce Brown (not verified)

5 months 4 weeks ago

Terrible name (arachno-phobic here) and a great plant--so attractive, useful, and easy to grow, whether indoors up North or outdoors down South. A hanging basket of a mother plant and a cascade of pups is striking. However, note to cat owners: cats LOVE to eat spider plants. None of my pride members have suffered any ill effects, but the same can't be said for the poor spider plant that received the severe pruning. On the other hand, proof of the plant's hardiness: none of my spider plants ever died after a cat pruning--of course, the plants weren't prolific pup producers, but they did just doggedly (pun intended) regrow their leaves. Which got eaten again....... ;)

Elaine kaufman (not verified)

1 year 3 months ago

I just found this site and love it.